Movable pad for trunks.



anion GEURGE HENRY WHEARY, 0F RACINE, WISCQNSIN.

MOVABLE PAD FOR TRUNKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 2631916.

Application filed August 7, 1915. Serial No. 424,349.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE I-IENRY WHEARY, 'a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Movable Pads for Trunks, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in movable pads for trunks, and more particularly to pads for retaining garments in .suspended position in the wardrobe section 15 of a trunk.

In wardrobe trunks as now constricted the trunk body is divided vertically, medially into two sections which are hinged together and are adapted to swing horizontally to open position. tions is usually provided with drawers and other compartments, and the other section,"

called the wardrobe section, is usually provided with garment hanger tracks upon which garment hangers are slidably mounted. The tracks are usually of the extensible type, to permit the hangers to be slid outwardly on the tracks while in suspended positions. Garments are suspended on and folded over the hangers, and in order to permit them to be freely removed from the trunk section, the upper end of the wardrobe section is open, and is provided with a cover'which may be swung upwardly to open position. In trunks of this type, it is necessary to provide means, usually a pad, for engaging the hangers and garments to securely hold them in place, and prevent their accidental disarrangement during transportation, and without injury \to the garments. In forming the wardrobe section with an open end or top the said section is necessarily of less strength than a section in which the top or end is permanently fixed.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the before mentioned objectionable features and provide. a trunk having a closed wardrobe section top with means for engagingand holding the hangers and garments mounted thereon firmly and yieldingly in position.

A further object of the invention is to i provide a movable pad for trunks which may be easily attached to a trunk and adjusted to engage the hangers and garments One of these sec-' the invention consists of the improved movable pad for trunks and-its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

. .In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views; Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a wardrobe sec tion of a trunk rovided with the improved movable pad f dr trunks, the pad being shownin non-holding position; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 with the pad shown in holding position; and Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view on a larger scale, taken on line H o' Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 8 indicates the trunk body generally, which is divided vertically to form a body section!) and a wardrobe section 10' hinged thereto and arranged to be swung horizontally to open position. upper end 11 of the wardrobe section is preferably permanently attached to the side walls of the section. Garmenthanger tracks 12 mounted on the side walls 13 in the upper portion of the wardrobe section, are provided with extensions 14 hinged to their outer ends, which are adapted to be swung upwardly to alined horizontal positions with the fixed tracks. Garment hangers 15 slidably and removahly mounted on the tracks, are adapted to support and have garments folded over their upper medial straight edge portions '16, I

The hangers are spaced from the upper end of the trunk and the improved movable pad 17 is positioned between the hangers and the wardrobe section and is connected to and supported from said top. The movable pad 17 comprises a rectangular board 18 provided with reinforcing channeled bars 19 on its front and rear edges and a pad 20 on its lower surface. The opposite ends of the reinforcing bars 19 project from the op- In this form of trunk the posite side edges of the rectangular board and are provided with eyes 20 through which guide pins 21 extend. The guide pins 21 project upwardly from the opposite end portions of angular bars 22, which are fastened to the upper end of the trunk section, and serve to guide the movable pad vertically in moving to its hanger engaging and disengaging positions. Coiled springs 23 surrounding the guide pins 21 and interposed between the angular bars 22 and the projecting eyed ends of the reinforcing bars, serve to normally hold the pad member 17 in its uppermost or non-engaging position.

A lever bar member 24: medially fulcrumed on the upper portion of the pad member by fulcrum straps 25 and extending from the front to the rear portion of the wardrobe section, forces the pad member downwardly into engaging position when swung to its upper position with its upper edge engaging the upper end of the wardrobe section. The lever bar at its forward end is provided with a depending handle 26 for convenience in swinging the bar. The lever bar in swinging to its upper position is swung a slight distance beyond a line drawn vertically through the axis of movement of the bar to lock said bar in its upper and the coiled springs in compressed position. A stop 27 projecting forwardly from the front reinforcing bar 19 in the path of movement of the handle 26 serves to limit the movement of the lever bar in its upper position and a slight projection 28 on the same reinforcing bar holds the handle frictionally in its upper position.

In use the garments are suspended on or folded over the hangers and the hangers are then slid into the wardrobe section on the tracks, and when within the section the handle is swung downwardly to force the pad member against the upper edges of the hangers and the garments folded thereover. The pad will yieldingly engage the hangers and garments and they wil embed therein and will be held firmly in position without the liability of the garments being injured by rubbing against the holding means.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the movable pad is of very simple construction, and is well adapted for the purpose described.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A movable pad for trunks provided with garment hangers, comprising a supporting member having m'eans .for attachment to a trunk, a pad member relatively movably. connected thereto and movable to a garment hanger engaging and a disengaging position, and means for holding the pad member in one of its positions.

2. A movable pad for trunks provided with garment hangers, comprising a supporting member having means for attachment to a trunk, a pad member relatively movably connected thereto and movable to a garment hanger engaging and a disengaging position, and' means for holding the pad member in either one of its positions.

3. A movable pad for trunks provided with garment hangers, comprising a supporting means provided with guide means,

a pad member slidably mounted on the guide means and movable to a garment hanger engaging and a disengaging position, means for yieldinglyholding the pad member in one of its positions, and other means for holding the pad member in its other position.

4. A movable pad for trunks provided with garment hangers, comprising a supporting means provided with guide pins, a

pad member slidably mounted on the guide a pad member slidably mounted on the guide pins and movable to a garment hanger engaging and a disengaging position, coiled springs surrounding the pins and interposed between the supporting means and the pad member for yieldingly holding the pad member in its disengaging positlon,

and a lever means interposed between the pad member and the trunk portion to which the supporting means is connected for holding the pad member in its other position.

6. A movable pad for trunks provided with garment hangers, comprising a fixed supporting means provided with guide pins, a pad member having eyed portions through which the pins extend, said pad member being movable togarment hanger engaging and disengaging positions, coiled springs surrounding the pins and interposed between the supporting means and the pad member for holding the pad in disengaging position, and ,a lever bar interposed between the pad member and the trunk portion to which the meg-re? pad member, and means for holding the pad member in engagement with the hangers or garments folded thereon.

8. The combination with a trunk having garment hanger supporting means and garment hangers slidably mounted thereon, of a movable pad therefor comprising a supporting means positioned between the hangers and the adjacent end of the trunk, a pad member relatively movably vconnected to the supporting meansand movable to a position to have portions of the hangers and garments folded thereover embed into the pad member, means for holding the pad member in hanger disengaging position, and other means for holding the pad member in hanger engaging position.

9. The combination with a trunk having garment hanger supporting means and garment hangers slidably mounted thereon, of a movable pad therefor comprising a supporting means positioned between the hang- -:ers and the adjacent end of the trunk, a pad member relatively movably connected to the supporting means and movable to a position to have portions of the hangers and garments folded thereover embed into the pad member, means for yieldingly holding the pad member in hanger disengaging position, and other means for forcing and holding the pad member in hanger engaging position.

10. The combination with a trunk having garment hanger supporting means and garment hangers slidably mounted thereon, of a movable pad therefor comprising a supporting means positioned between the hangers and the adjacent end of the trunk, a pad member connected to the supporting means and movable to a position to have portions of the hangers and garments folded thereover embed into the pad member, coiled springs interposed between the supporting means and the pad. member for yieldingly holding the pad member in hanger disengaging position, and a lever bar member interposed between the pad member and the adj acent trunk end for forcing and holding the pad member in hanger engaging position.

11. The combination with a trunk having garment hanger supporting means and garment hangers slidably mounted thereon, of a movable pad therefor comprising a supporting means positioned between the hangers and the adjacent end of the trunk, a pad member connected to the supporting means and movable to a positionto have portions of the hangers and garments folded thereover embed into the pad member, means for yieldingly holding the pad member in hanger disengaging position, other means for forcing and holding the pad member in hanger engaging position, and means for locking the pad holding means in adjusted position.

12. The combination with a trunk having garment hanger supporting means and. garment hangers slidably mounted thereon, of a movable pad therefor comprising a sup porting means positioned between the hangers and the adjacent end of the trunk, a-

pad member connected to the supporting means and movable to a position to have portions of the hangers and garments folded thereov'er embed into the pad member, coiled springs interposed between the supporting means and the pad member for yieldingly holding the pad member in hanger disen gaging position, a lever bar member interposed between the pad member and the adjacent trunk end for forcing and holding the pad member in hanger engaging position, and means for locking the pad holding means in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof, Lafiix my signa ture, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY.

WVitnesses:

ANNA M. NELSON, EMMA RASMUSSEN. 

